The defining traits of Tom Benson’s tenure as owner of the New Orleans Saints have been simple – focus all of his efforts and resources on bringing the fans what has been unprecedented success on the football field, and support his hometown and the entire region by investing in the community. Mr. Benson has understood since purchasing the club in 1985 that the Saints are part of the fabric of the Gulf South: a cornerstone of the region economically and he has made them a leader in charitable causes.

The Saints enter their 25th season under Mr. Benson’s ownership in 2009, a period where the team has reached its greatest heights – whether judged by victories, playoff appearances, Superdome attendance figures, national television exposure, economic impact or charitable involvement. The club has become more than just an NFL team in New Orleans under Mr. Benson’s leadership, it has become part of the fabric of the city that proudly represents an entire region.

While his work within the organization and the Saints’ turnaround is well documented, his efforts have also paid dividends for the city and the surrounding area. During his tenure as owner, the city has already hosted four Super Bowls, and has recently been awarded Super Bowl XLVII, to be played in 2013. Mr. Benson has been the driving force behind each campaign to secure the contest, and made this latest accomplishment his top priority in an effort to present the recovery of New Orleans on an international level. And each Super Bowl has been an economic windfall that totals over $400 million, not to mention the exposure and charitable contributions the NFL makes during Super Bowl week.

Mr. Benson has made the objectives of success, support and investment in the region not only his personal direction daily, but the core values of the entire organization. Success has followed, both on the field and off. When Mr. Benson purchased the team, the Saints entered the most compelling and memorable period in franchise history. Prior to his arrival, the club’s fans had never enjoyed a winning record, celebrated a division title or experienced the thrill of playoff victories.

But Mr. Benson’s impact was immediate. Two years after assuming the reins of the organization, the Saints hosted their first playoff contest. After multiple winning seasons, playoff berths and division titles since, in 2006 the club advanced to the NFC Championship Game, lifting the spirits of the entire region.

His dedication to New Orleans has been among Mr. Benson’s most rewarding endeavors. Since 2005, he has positioned the Saints as a leader in the recovery of the region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. The club was among the first major businesses to return to New Orleans, and in 2006 had a thrilling season which became an inspiration for a region on the mend. The efforts of the organization have continued to lift the community, with the team serving as an economic engine and a pacesetter in philanthropic contributions.

Under Mr. Benson’s guidance, the Saints have been a focal point for healing and restoration – annually putting $5 million in charitable contributions, goods and services back into the Gulf South and Greater New Orleans. He pledged the club’s commitment to the region was firm and lasting, with his focus on building a stronger and more unified city. It’s a direction that continues to evolve and expand.

Mr. Benson’s most ambitious project to date was announced recently, as he stepped forward with a new partnership that will sustain the club’s commitment to the state through 2025 and also created a new Sports Development District in the city. The agreement includes Mr. Benson and his family purchasing and redeveloping the New Orleans Centre – a mall adjacent to the Superdome that has sat vacant and in disrepair since 2005 – as well as purchasing the Dominion Tower, an office building near the stadium that has also been dormant since Hurricane Katrina.

This innovative economic investment plan will revitalize the Superdome area, and the agreement with the state includes a dramatic modernization of the stadium. The upgrades with his help will include a legion of new enhancements to improve the fan experience for all events at the Superdome, and keep the building competitive with new stadiums across the country.

Mr. Benson’s vision of what an NFL club should be off the field – proactive, with a positive impact on the prosperity of the community and the charities that support the less fortunate – has been the determining factor of the Saints’ approach.

And Mr. Benson has not only reached out by supporting charities, but also by recognizing the future of the area’s economy depends on keeping major businesses and employers in the Gulf South locally-owned. His philosophy is to rebuild the economy by developing the infrastructure of the region from the inside, and Mr. Benson recently made another large investment in the city’s future and has encouraged a number of other businesses to follow his example.

In 2008, he purchased WVUE, making FOX-8 the only network-affiliated television station in the New Orleans market that is wholly locally-owned. After researching the trends of the media industry, Mr. Benson discovered television stations have increasingly become parts of national media conglomerates, and his focus remains on keeping Louisiana businesses owned by those with ties to the state.

Since 2006 – when New Orleans captured the nation’s imagination by winning the NFC South and advancing further into the postseason than ever before – the Saints have been symbolic of the region’s resolve and grit, though Mr. Benson as usual chooses to work quietly in the background.

His tenure as owner has been defined by honesty, dedication, loyalty and commitment to the city, region, Saints and the NFL. When Mr. Benson initially became interested in purchasing the club in 1985, he was motivated by out-of-town investors were planning to move the club from New Orleans. He was certainly a fan of the game and the Saints, but the sport had yet to become one of Benson’s passions.

As one of the area’s top businessmen, Mr. Benson recognized the importance of the team to the region, and he immediately spearheaded the effort to keep the Saints. But unlike others at the time, it wasn’t just an emotional plea. He pooled all of his resources, purchased the club in 1985 and preserved the Saints for the team’s legion of fans across the area. And the once-rampant speculation that the club was moving immediately ceased.

While Mr. Benson’s initial motivation for purchasing the team was to ensure it did not leave New Orleans, all of the Saints’ best seasons have come since his arrival, and Mr. Benson’s goal remains for the club to rank among the most admired franchises in all of sports.

So perhaps the Saints’ successes in the years since were to be expected. Football was a new business for Mr. Benson when he arrived on the scene, but he was a quick learner and followed his lifelong professional philosophy of finding the right people and giving them the freedom to handle their responsibilities.

Mr. Benson also immediately emerged as one of the most trusted and valued figures in the league. He has played a key role in many capacities, including three stints as Chairman of the Finance Committee, one of the league’s most difficult, time-consuming and influential positions. The assignment is evidence of the respect and esteem in which he is held by successive NFL commissioners and his fellow NFL owners.

Community involvement has been the hallmark of the Benson era since he became the owner of the team, and because of those efforts the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame has twice recognized the club as one of the five most charitable professional organizations. Mr. Benson was selected by the Volunteers of American as the winner of its annual Good Samaritan Award in Philanthropy in recognition of his work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

His wife, the former Gayle Marie LaJaunie and a fellow native of New Orleans, is also involved in several charitable endeavors, including supporting local and regional causes. Mr. and Mrs. Benson have also funded the building of a football stadium located on the University of Incarnate Word Campus, known as Gayle and Tom Benson Field.

In 1945, Mr. Benson served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. South Dakota and has remained particularly close to this branch of the armed forces. He is the only enlisted man to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Pensacola Naval Museum and has been honored with an award from the crew of the submarine U.S.S. Louisiana. In 2007, Mr. Benson was honored by the U.S. Navy Memorial with the Lone Sailor Award, presented to those who exemplify the core values of honor, courage and commitment.

A leading advocate for the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., Mr. Benson was also a major contributor and past director of The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, with his pledges helping fund the Pacific Exhibit Grand Opening and the Midway Theater.